Community day at the Tolaga Bay Inn

BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE: Tolaga Bay’s landmark inn will host a community day on Sunday to promote its project for community development. Some of the locals backing the project are, back left, Wanda Kiel-Rapana, Bess Eyles, Susanna Bartlett, Stephan Kellerman and inn kaitiaki Lily Stender. In front are Ayvarie-James Lewis and Shane Rawhiti. File picture

The Tolaga Bay Inn will host a community day on Sunday to promote initiatives for its social enterprise developments.

By sharing resources, sharing skills and sharing the load, the inn community says it aims to “keep the home fires burning for future generations”.

The community day will showcase a taste of some of the innovations that the inn has in the pipeline, as well as fun activities.

There are plans for the iconic East Coast inn, which is in a charitable trust, to have a major revamp of its buildings and operations — with renovations estimated at around $5 million.

There are community development initiatives for the inn, such as becoming a portal for social enterprise, to assist local entrepreneurs and sole traders to build and develop their businesses.

Also in the plans is a base for educational programmes, an in-house information centre, a hub for digital technology and tourism experiences, and a place to showcase arts and crafts of local people.

The kaitiaki, or guardian of the inn, and driver of the redevelopment project Lily Stender, says the community is at the heart of the project.

“There are two main threads to the project — restoration and preservation, and community development,” she says.

“Our mission is to restore and preserve the inn by utilising her as a vehicle for economic, social and cultural development in our community.

“The community day will deliver an insight into what we want to achieve for the community.”

It will also be an opportunity to promote the inn’s involvement in Ta Koha, the first indigenous crowdfunding campaign.

The Tolaga Bay Inn is one of 11 projects selected to be part of Ta Koha.

It is a co-creation between the Maori Womens Development Inc and crowdfunding platform PledgeMe.

Ta Koha looks at how funding can be opened up to entrepreneurs and change-makers, who have big ambitions for themselves and their communities.

“Our crowdfunding mission is to promote our social enterprise, to help us create a technology and tourism hub in our historical country pub,” said Ms Stender.

Among the highlights at the community day will be a kina-eating competition, and a crayfish-eating competition.

There will also be a showcase of Maori arts and crafts, such as harakeke weaving and bone carving, and karaoke.

The inn will also put posts on Facebook to share its project to the world.

The community day is from 9am-6pm.

The Tolaga Bay Inn will host a community day on Sunday to promote initiatives for its social enterprise developments.

By sharing resources, sharing skills and sharing the load, the inn community says it aims to “keep the home fires burning for future generations”.

The community day will showcase a taste of some of the innovations that the inn has in the pipeline, as well as fun activities.

There are plans for the iconic East Coast inn, which is in a charitable trust, to have a major revamp of its buildings and operations — with renovations estimated at around $5 million.

There are community development initiatives for the inn, such as becoming a portal for social enterprise, to assist local entrepreneurs and sole traders to build and develop their businesses.

Also in the plans is a base for educational programmes, an in-house information centre, a hub for digital technology and tourism experiences, and a place to showcase arts and crafts of local people.

The kaitiaki, or guardian of the inn, and driver of the redevelopment project Lily Stender, says the community is at the heart of the project.

“There are two main threads to the project — restoration and preservation, and community development,” she says.

“Our mission is to restore and preserve the inn by utilising her as a vehicle for economic, social and cultural development in our community.

“The community day will deliver an insight into what we want to achieve for the community.”

It will also be an opportunity to promote the inn’s involvement in Ta Koha, the first indigenous crowdfunding campaign.

The Tolaga Bay Inn is one of 11 projects selected to be part of Ta Koha.

It is a co-creation between the Maori Womens Development Inc and crowdfunding platform PledgeMe.

Ta Koha looks at how funding can be opened up to entrepreneurs and change-makers, who have big ambitions for themselves and their communities.

“Our crowdfunding mission is to promote our social enterprise, to help us create a technology and tourism hub in our historical country pub,” said Ms Stender.

Among the highlights at the community day will be a kina-eating competition, and a crayfish-eating competition.

There will also be a showcase of Maori arts and crafts, such as harakeke weaving and bone carving, and karaoke.

The inn will also put posts on Facebook to share its project to the world.